Among the people featured in the first episode of A Lake District Farmshop are Bing Cao and his wife, Cara Ou.
They are the owners of Wabi Sabi restaurant in Ambleside.
Self-taught chef Bing is inspired by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi – nothing is perfect; nothing is complete; nothing is permanent.
He has developed a deeply personal cooking style that celebrates local and foraged foods.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to close their restaurant temporarily, Bing and Cara looked for ways to earn a living and keep their business viable.
They approached Tebay Services with an idea to sell fresh sushi and ramen kits, using local ingredients including Herdwick mutton.
Farmshop buyer Alexander Evans was immediately intrigued. He spotted an opportunity to bring something new and fresh to Tebay’s customers while helping a small local business survive the pandemic and find new routes to market.
A Lake District Farmshop follows them as they focus on impressing Alexander with their dishes.
We see them forage in their local woodlands in search of ingredients and inspiration, sharing their love of the lakes and mountains of their adopted Lake District home and their hopes of keeping their restaurant dream alive.
More about A Lake District Farmshop
1.4 million people tune into the first episode
Read our review of the first episode here.
Meet the record-breaking potter who stars in episode two here.
Find out more about the series here.
Meet the butcher and baker who are integral to Tebay Services here.
